Counter



H. B. VROOM sept. 11, 1962 COUNTER 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed my 24.v 195eFIG. Z

FBG. 4

INVENTOR. HAROLD B. VROOM 4T oRNE Ys Sept 11, 1962 H. B. vRooM 3,053,441

COUNTER Filed July 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 HAROLD B. VRUOM TORNEYSSept. 11, 1962 H. a. vRooM 3,053,441

COUNTER Filed July 24, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENT OR HAROLD B. VPOOMBMMM United States @Patent 3,053,441 COUNTER Harold B. Vroom, Simsbury,Conn., assignor to Veeder- Root Incorporated, Hartford, Conn., acorporation of Connecticut Filed July 24, 1958, Ser. No. 751,105 14Claims. (Cl. 23S-1) This invention relates to counters and moreparticularly to a novel and improved means to control the engagement ofthe transfer mechanism between number wheels of a counter responsive toambient temperature and relative humidity. This application is acontinuation in part of my prior copending application Serial No.674,171, filed July 25, 1957, now abandoned, entitled Counter andassigned to the assignee of the present application.

Where number wheels, transfer pinions or both are fabricated of anon-metallic material, such as nylon, and having a relatively highcoefficient of thermal expansion and relatively high hygroscopiccoefficient are utilized in a counter in an environment subject tosubstantial changes in ambient temperature and relative humidity, thegrowth or expansion of the number wheels as well as of the transferpinions operatively connecting next adjacent pairs of number wheelstends to result in improper meshing of the transfer mechanism which mayresult in binding at one extreme of temperature and humidity or inlooseness at the opposite extreme, all leading to inaccurate andundependable operation. In resettable counters of the type wherein thetransfer pinion is moved out of engagement with the number wheels duringresetting of the counter, excessive expansion of the elements of thetransfer mechanism may seriously interfere with the proper operation ofthe throw-out mechanism used to disengage and engage the transferpinions.

Accordingly, it is the object of this invention to provide in a counterof the type having a transfer pinion operatively connecting nextadjacent pairs of number wheels, novel and improved means to control therelative position of the number wheels and transfer pinions in responseto changes in ambient conditions such as temperature and relativehumidity so as to preclude binding or excessive clearance of thetransfer mechanism as the result of change in size of the number wheelsand pinions resulting from the ambient condition change.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more indetail hereinafter.

The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction,combination of elements and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the construction hereafter set forth and the scope of theapplication of which will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIG. l is a fragmentary top view of a counter incorporating the presentinvention with a portion of the counter cover plate cut away;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view substantially along theline 2-2 of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view substantially along theline 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view substantially along theline 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view substantially along theline 5 5 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken substantially alongthe line 6-6 of FIG. 7; and

IFIG. 7 is a fragmentary top View of a counter incorporating anotherembodiment of the present invention with a portion of the counter coverplates cut away.

With reference to FIGS. 1 through 5, a counter of a type with which apreferred embodiment of this invention is concerned is generallyindicated at 10` and comprises a frame including a front plate 12 havingan inwardly directed flange 14 at the bottom thereof, a pair of sideplates 14 and 16, and a cover plate 18. A window 19 is provided in thefront plate 12 to permit viewing of a plurality of coaxially alignednumber Wheels 20 disposed within the counter and rotatably mount-ed on ashaft 22 journaled in the side plates 14, 16. Each of the number wheelshas mounted on one side thereof for rotation therewith a driven gear 24and on the other side thereof a locking ring 26 and two-toothed drivinggear segment Z8. In the specific embodiment, the number wheels andassociated gears and locking ring are fabricated of a nonmetallichygroscopic material, such as nylon, having a high coefiicient ofthermal expansion. Each number wheel also carries for rotation therewitha heart-shaped cam 29.

The driving and driven gears of the number wheels are operativelyconnected by a plurality of mutilated tooth transfer pinions 3d disposedrespectively between adjacent pairs of number wheels and rotatablymounted on a shaft 31 extending parallel to the shaft 22. 'Ihe pinionsare each provided with a mutilated tooth portion 32 engageable with thelocking ring and two-toothed gear segment of the adjacent lower orderwheel and with a full tooth portion 33 engageable with the driven gearof the adjacent higher order wheel to provide, in a well-known manner,an advance of the higher order wheel by one digit upon one completerevolution of the lower order number wheel. The transfer pinions 30,like the number wheels, are fabricated of a non-metallic hygroscopicmaterial, such as nylon. A pinion 34 is also mounted on the shaft S1 andis engageable with the driven gear of the lowest order wheel and with adrive gear 35 mounted for rotation with the shaft 22 whereby rotation ofthe shaft 22 Will result in rotation of the lowest order number wheel.

A supporting member or yoke 36 is disposed along side the number wheelsand comprises a pair of spaced apart arms 37 connected by a web 38having a projection or ear 40 extending therefrom. The arms 37 of theyoke are pivotally mounted intermediate their ends on a shaft 42extending parallel to the shaft 22 and journaled at its ends on the sideplates 14, 16. The shaft 31 carrying the pinions 30 and 35 is supportedby the outer ends of the arms 37 of the yoke so that pinions 30, 35 canbe thrown into and out of engagement with the number wheel gears bypivoting movement `of the yoke. Disposed between the arms 37 of the yokeis a resetting lever 46 comprising a plurality of arms 48 extendingtherefrom and engageable respectively with the heart cams 29 on thenumber wheels. The resetting lever 46 is provided with a pair of spacedapart collars 50 receiving the shaft 42 with one of the collars beingpinned to the shaft for rotation of the resetting lever with the shaft.A torsion spring 52 is mounted on the shaft 42 with one end thereofengaged with the resetting lever 46 and with its other end engaged withthe web 38 of the yoke so as to urge the yoke toward the resettinglever. Movement of the yoke and resetting lever toward each other islimited, a-s shown in FIG. l, by engagement of the arm 48 associatedwith the highest order number wheel with the ear 40 on the yoke.

Mounted on one end of the shaft 42 for rotation therewith is a crank 54having a pair of oppositely extending arms 56, 58. A tension spring 60is connected at one end to the outer end of the crank arm 58 and at theother end to the frame (not shown) so as to urge the shaft 42 in aclockwise direction as viewed in FIG. 4. A link 62 is pivotally mountedat one end of the outer end of the crank arm 56 and at the other end isconnected to a plunger 64 slidably mounted in the front plate 12 andextending therethrough. To reset the counter to zero, the plunger 64 ismoved inwardly of the counter to pivot the crank 54 and shaft 42 in acounterclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 4, to pivot thereset lever 46 in a corresponding `direction for engagement of the arms4S with the heart cams 29. The pivoting of the reset lever 46 will,through the spring 52, cause counterclockwise pivoting of the yoke 36 tomove the pinions 30 out of number wheel engagement to permit rotation ofthe number wheels by the reset lever 46 and relative to the pinions.Mounted on the flange 14 of the front plate 12 is a transfer pinionspacer plate 66 having a plurality of notches 68 respectively alignedwith the pinions 30. The notches 63 are dimensioned to receive thepinions upon movement of the same out of number wheel engagement tomaintain the pinions in alignment with the number wheels while out ofengagement therewith to assure proper re-engagement upon release of theplunger 64.

In accordance with the embodiment of the invention illustrated in FIGS.l through 5, a stop member 7i? is mounted across member 7l of the frameof the counter and is engageable with the ear 40 on the yoke to limitclockwise rotation of the yoke, as viewed in FIG. 2. The stop member 70is also formed of nylon which is the same material as the number wheelsand pinions so as to have the same hygroscopic coecient and coefficientof thermal expansion. In this specific embodiment, the stop member 70 issubstantially semi-circular and has a diameter approximately equal tothat of the number wheels. The stop member is eccentrically mounted onthe frame by the screw 72 with its curved peripheral portion inengagement with the ear 40 of the yoke.

As a result `of the use of the stop member 79 having a relatively highhygroscopic coefficient and relatively high coefficient of thermalexpansion, an increase in relative humidity and/or ambient temperaturewill result in a growth or increase in size of the stop member 70 so asto provide pivoting of the yoke 36 in a counterclockwise direction, asviewed in FIG. 2, against the force of the spring 60 to move thetransfer pinions 30 radially outwardly of the number wheels, thusprecluding binding of the number wheels and transfer pinions as a resultof excessive hydroscopic and/ or thermal expansion thereof. Conversely,a drop in relative humidity and/ or ambient temperature will result inshrinkage of the stop member precluding looseness or ineffective meshingof the gears. The distance between the axes of the yoke and transferpinions has, of course, a predetermined relation to the distance betweenthe yoke axis and point of yoke and stop member engagement so that for agiven growth of the stop member the pinions will be moved an amountrelative to the number wheels which corresponds to the growth of thenumber wheels. The eccentric mounting of the stop member 70 permitsadjustment of the initial relative position of the pinions and numberwheels during assembly of the counter so as to eliminate the need formaintaining close manufacturing tolerances with respect to the transfergearing and mounting therefor.

Referring now to the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, it is seenthat a counter, generally designated as 70, is provided with a frontplate 71, a pair of side plates 72 and 73, and a cover plate 74. Window75 is provided in front plate 71 to permit viewing of a plurality ofcoaxially mounted number wheels 76 which are rotatably mounted on numberwheel shaft 77 journaled in side plates 72 and 73. Each number wheel 76has a driven gear 78 and a locking ring Sil mounted on one side thereoffor rotation therewith. In addition, each number wheel 76, excepthighest order wheel 79, has a two-tooth driving gear segment 8l mountedon the other side of the number wheel for rotation therewith. In thisspecific embodiment, number wheel 76, gear 78, locking ring 80 and gearsegment Si are fabricated of a non-metallic hygroscopic material, suchas nylon.

The driving and driven gears of number wheels 76 are interconnected by aplurality of mutilated tooth-transfer pinions 82, as in the embodimentillustrated in FIGS. l through 5, and their operation to advance thenumber wheels is the same. Transfer pinions 82 are rotatably supportedon pinion shaft S3, which is mounted in brackets 84 and 85 in a positiongenerally parallel to shaft 77. Pinion 86 is secured to shaft 77 so thatrotation of shaft 77 will drive the lowest order wheel through drivengears 87 and 88 in a conventional manner.

ln the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7, brackets 84 and 8S are fabricated ofa non-metallic hygroscopic material, such as nylon, and lare looselysupported on shaft 77. The ends of shaft 83 extend through brackets 84and 85 to engage slots 89 and 90 formed in side plates 72f and 73.

From the foregoing description, it is apparent that expansion andcontraction of number wheels 76 and transfer pinions 82 will be`accompanied by similar expansion and contraction of brackets 84 and 85so as to slide shaft 83 in slots 89 and 9i?, thereby varying thedistance between shafts 77 and 83 to keep transfer pinions 82 in properengagement with driven gears 7S and two-tooth segments 81. By so varyingthe spacing of the shafts, binding as well as excessive loosenessbetween the gear surfaces is effectively prevented.

It can thus be seen that there has been provided a novel and improvedarrangement for controlling the relative position of the number wheelshaft of a counter with respect to the transfer pinion shaft operativelyconnected thereto and that this arrangement is responsive to ambienttemperature and relative humidity. It is also seen that this arrangementcan be adapted for use in counters of the type wherein the transferpinions are moved out of engagement with the number wheels during aresetting operation. While this invention has particular utility in thecounters described, it is also applicable to other types of counters,and it is intended that the variations and the embodiments which couldbe made by one skilled in the art are to be included within the scope ofthis invention.

I claim:

l. In a counter, a frame, a number wheel shaft supported by said frame,a pair of number wheels rotatably supported on said shaft, said numberwheels being formed of a non-metallic material expansible in response tochanges in ambient conditions, a pinion shaft, means supporting saidpinion shaft for movement relative to said number wheel shaft, atransfer pinion supported by said shaft to provide a driving connectionbetween said number wheels, and means to position said number wheelshaft relative to said pinion shaft, said last named means including amember formed of a non-metallic material expansible in response tochanges in ambient conditions to vary the spacing between said numberwheel shaft and said pinion shaft, said member being independent of saidframe and the means supporting said pinion shaft.

2. In a counter, a frame, a number wheel shaft supported on said frame,a pair of coaxially arranged rotatable number wheels supported on saidnumber wheel shaft, said wheels being formed of a hygroscopic material,a pinion shaft, means mounting said pinion shaft for movement relativeto said number wheel shaft, a transfer pinion rotatably mounted on saidpinion shaft and interconnecting said number wheels, and meansindependent of said frame and the pinion shaft mounting meansinterconnecting said number wheel shaft and said pinion shaft, saidmeans including a member formed of hy- Vgroscopic material whereby thespacing between said shafts is varied with ambient conditions.

3. In a counter, a frame, a number wheel shaft supported on said frame,a pair of coaxially arranged rotatable number wheels supported on saidnumber wheel shaft, said wheels being formed of a hygroscopic material,a pinion shaft, a transfer pinion rotatably mounted on said pinionshaft, means supporting said transfer shaft for limited free movementrelative to said number wheel shaft, and means including a memberparallel to said number wheels and engaging each of said shafts, saidmember being formed of a hygroscopic material thereby to change relativeshaft position with changing ambient conditions.

4. In a counter, a frame, a pair of number wheels formed of anon-metallic material expansible in response to changes in ambientconditions rotatably supported on the frame, a rotatable transfer memberengageable with the number wheels to provide a driving connectiontherebetween, means mounting said transfer member on the frame formovement toward and away from the number wheels, and a stop memberformed of a non-metallic material expansible in response to changes inambient conditions supported on the frame and engageable with thetransfer member mounting means to limit movement of the transfer membertoward the number wheels.

5. In a counter, a frame, a pair of number Wheels formed of ahygroscopic material rotatably supported on the `frame, a rotatabletransfer member engageable with the number wheels to provide a drivingconnection therebetween, means mounting the transfer member yformovement toward and away from the number wheels, and a stop memberformed of hygroscopic material supported on the frame and engageablewith the transfer member mounting means to limit movement of thetransfer member toward the number Wheels.

6. In -a counter, a frame, a pair of number wheels formed of a plastichaving a relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion rotatablysupported on said frame, a rotatable transfer member engageable withsaid number wheels to provide a driving connection therebetween, meansmounting said transfer member on said frame for movement toward and awayfrom said number wheels, and a stop member formed of a plastic having arelatively high coeicient of thermal expansion supported on said frame`and engageable with said transfer member mounting means to limitmovement lof said -transfer member toward said number Wheels.

7. In a counter, a frame, a pair of number wheels formed of ahygroscopic material rotatably supported on said frame, a support membermovably mounted on said frame for movement toward `and away from saidnumber wheels, a transfer member rotatably mounted on said supportmember and engageable with said number wheels to provide a `drivingconnection therebetween, means urging said transfer member toward saidnumber wheels, and a stop member yformed of hygroscopic materialsupported on said frame and engageable with said support member to limitmovement of said transfer member toward said number wheels and toprovide movement of said transfer member rela-tive to said number wheelsin response to changes in relative humidity.

8. In a counter, a frame, a pair of number wheels formed of a plastichaving a relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion rotatablysupported on said frame, a support member movably mounted on said framefor movement toward and -away lfrom said number wheels, a transfermember engageable with said number wheels to provide a drivingconnection therebetween, said transfer member being rotatably mounted onsaid support member for movement therewith relative to said numberwheels, means urging said transfer member toward said number wheels, anda stop member formed of a plastic having a relatively high coefficientof thermal expansion supported on said frame and engageable with saidsupport member to limit movement of said transfer member toward saidnumber wheels and to provide movement of said transfer member relativeto lsaid number wheels in response to a change in ambient temperature.

9. In a counter, a frame, a pair of coaxially arranged rotatable numberwheels supported on said frame, said wheels being formed of yahygroscopic material, a support member pivotally supported on said framefor movement about an axis parallel with the number wheel axis, a

transfer pinion rotatably supported by said support member andengageable with said number wheels to provide a driving connectiontherebetween, means urging said transfer pinion toward said numberwheels, and a stop member formed of a hygroscopic material eccentricallyand -adjustably supported on said frame for engagement with said supportmember to limit movement of said transfer pinion toward Isaid numberWheels.

10. In a counter, a frame, a pair of coaxially arranged rotatable numberWheels supported on the frame, said wheels being formed of a plastichaving a relatively high coefficient of thermal expansion, a supportmember pivotally mounted on said frame for movement about an axisparallel to the number wheel axis, a transfer pinion rotatably supportedby lsaid support member and engageable with said number Wheels toprovide a driving connection therebetween, means urging said transferpinion toward number Wheel engagement, and a stop member formed of aplastic having a. relatively high coefficient of thermal expansioneccentrically and adjustably supported on said frame for engagement withsaid support member to limit movement of said transfer pinion towardsaid number wheels.

ll. In a counter, a frame, a pair of coaxially arranged rotatable numberwheels supported on said frame, said wheels being formed of ahygroscopic material having a relatively high coefficient of thermalexpansion, a support member pivotally mounted on said frame for movementabout an axis parallel to the number wheel axis, a transfer pinionrotatably supported by said support member and engageable with saidnumber wheels to provide a driving connection therebetween, a springurging said transfer pinion toward number wheel engagement, and agenerally semi-circular stop member of the hygroscopic material having arelatively high coefficient of thermal expansion, said stop memberhaving a diameter substantially the same as one of said number wheelsand being eccen-trically and adjustably supported on said frame with thecurved peripheral portion thereof engageable With said support member tolimit movement of said transfer pinion toward said number lwheels.

ll2. In a counter, a frame, a pair of coaxially aligned rotatable numberwheels supported on said frame, said Wheels being formed of ahygroscopic plastic having a relatively high coeiiicient of thermalexpansion, a heart cam mounted 4for rotation with each of said numberwheels, a resetting member pivotally supported on said frame formovement about an axis parallel to the number wheel axis and having apair of arms extending therefrom engageable respectively with the heartcams on said number wheels, a support member mounted for pivotalmovement coaxially with said resetting member, a transfer pinionengageable with said number wheels to operatively connect the camssupported on a support member for rotation about an axis spaced from andparallel to said number wheel axis, a driving connection between saidresetting member and said support member, and a stop member of the samematerial as said number wheels eccentrically supported on said frame forselective adjustment relative to said frame, said stop member havin-g acurved peripheral portion engageable with said support member to controlthe relative position of said. number wheels and said pinion inaccordance with ambient ternperature and relative humidity.

13. In a counter, a frame, a number wheel shaft fixedly support on saidframe, a pair of coaxially arranged rotatable number wheels supported onsaid number wheel shaft, said wheels being formed of a hydroscopiomaterial, a pinion shaft, a transfer pinion mounted on said pinionshaft, parallel slots in said frame, one on each end thereof, supportingsaid transfer shaft for limited free movement relative to said numberwheel shaft and a member formed of hydroscopic material arrangedparallel to said number wheels and engaging the transfer shaft andpinion shaft adjacent each end thereof, said members and numf' 7' berwheels being yformed of a material having substan- 2,797,047 Lehre June25, 1957 tially identical hydroscopic and temperature character-2,827,234 Keslirlg Mar. 18, 1958 istics. 2,929,554 Williams Mar. 22,1960 14. The counter as set forth in claim 13 wherein each member is adisc with the portion thereof engaging said 5 OTHER REFERENCES numberwheel shaft being larger irl radial dimension than Technology ReviewMagazine, M LT., page 294, the portion engaging said pinion shaft. May1939 edition Book of American Clocks, by Brooks Palmer, pub.

References Cited in the me of this Patent by Macmillan c6., N.Y., 1950.Plates 64, 65, 6s and 69.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 10 2,541,161 Harper Feb. 13, 1951

